Improvement in grain and seed-separators



R. HAWKINS. Grain and` Seed' Separator.

Patend July 19,- 1870. i

j No.; 105,451."

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Letters Patent No. 105,451, lated July 19,'A187O. A

IMPRVBMENT IN GRAIN AND SEED-SEPARATORS.

211e Schedule referred to :in these Letters Patent and making part cf the same To whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, REASON HAwKINs, of Sugar Creek, in the county ofHancock in the State of Inthe machine.

` Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same.

The object of this invention is to supply a machine for the `more perfect separation of wheat or other grains from'chai, straw, and the seeds of weeds that are detrimental if left with the wheat, and itis intended as an 4improvement'upon a patent granted to me .July 2, `1867, and numbered 66,333 and It consists in the construction and arrangement of chute, trash-sieve, separating-sieves, and the means used for operating them.

It also consists of the use of an endless apron, in combination with the means by which it is operated.

y A represents the usual `supportin{zr-frame, surmounted by the receiving hopper B, which receives the grain inthe chaff, with the seeds, as they come from the thrasher. i i

From hopper B these all pass intov chute C, which is made with. an inclinedV back, C', swinging and ad-v justable front D, and trash-sieve G" is pivoted near its top atc-toV framel A, and rests at its bottom end upon the upper end of sievebox E.

Sieve-box E contains three sieves of diherent sized meshes, placed in an` inclined position, and one over the other, and it is -supported by and rests upon an octagonal shaft, G, above the center of its length, andnear its lower end it is suspended upon a rock-shaft, K', which passes transversely through its sides near to'its upper edge.

The upper' sieve einbox E is longer than the one next below it, by extending further down at the tail end of the box, whilel the middle sieveA e', in like manner, is longer, and extends further down than the lower or bottom one e". l i

The upper sieve e has larger meshes than the middle one e', and large enough to let allthe grain pass through it, while the lower sieve is divided into two sections c" and c. The upper section c" is iner in mesh than the lower one e', which is finer than c'.

j is an endless apron, working over twov revolving shafts, j.

Upon the octagonal shaft G are pulleys H and H',

and at the end of shaftGr is thccrank-winch G'.

A band goes around pulley H', on shaft Gr, over pulley H" on the shaft of the fan-blower F', which is 'K secured inthcusual way, and to operate in fam-blower case F.

On the opposite end of the faublower shaft isa crank-wheel, J, which revolves with the fanblower.V

From this crank-wheel is aconnecting-rod, J going to and connectingwith a crank-arm, K, on rock-shaft K', which rock-shaft is journalcd into frame A, and supports thc lower end of sieve-box E, and gives to sieve-box E a longitudinal. or reciprocating motion.

A band goes over pulley H on shaft G, and to pulley I on shaft j',and thereby gives motion to the endless apron j on shaft j.l o

The operation of the machine is as'follows:

After llingthe receiving-hopper with the uncle'aned grain, take hold of the`cranltfwinch G' and turn it in the direction indicated by the arrows, motion will be communicated froml shaft Gr, through pulley H and its band, to pulley H" and ian-blower E in case F, when astrong current of air is forced by blower F through the contractedapertu-re at f of case F, where it comes inl contact with the grain, chaff, short straw, and seeds, on the trash-sieve O", that has passed through hopper B and chute O, by the adjustable opening under pivoted front D, and forces its way through and underneath the trash-sieve C", blowing awaythe straw and chan, leaving the kernelsfofgrain and small seeds to fall through the trash-sieve and current of air onto the sieve e, where the separationv of the grain from the small seeds commences.

By revolving the octagonal shaft'G it gives a longi-` tudinal and vertical ,motion to sieve-box E, and the sieves contained therein, and by chute C resting on the upper end of the sieve-box E, a rising or vibratory motion is given to that, which tends to shake the contents of the chute down upon the trash-sieve, to be subjected to thc current of air. i

Crank-wheel J, 'on the shaft of the fan-blower, through connecting-rod J', gives a vibratory motion to roclcshaft K' through the crank-arm K, which, in turn, communicates motion to the sieve-box E.

Motion is also given to theendless apron j by band l, from pulley H to pulley I, on shaft j'.

When the grain and 'seeds have been separated by the blast of air from the chan, and havefallen onto siege e, the small seeds and some 4of the small grains will immediately fall through the meshes in sieve e upon sieve e', and, as the wheat kernels pass along down on the inclined sieve c, all will have fallen through itby the effect of the perpendicular and longitudinal motiorfgiven' Vto the sieve before they reach the tail or bottom end of said sieve e, Vthe largest of 'which fall through last, and none of the wheatkernels will pass through sieve c' unless they are lvery small; consequently, all the good wheat passes through sieve e onto sieve e', and is shaken to^the bottom thereof, and falls upon inclined chute c", thence into box g, completely separating the ,wheat from the small seeds that are more or less mixed with the wheat in growing.

The small kernels of wheat and other seeds that pass through sieve e', and cannot go through either sieve e" or 6', fall upon the chute e5, and are retained at the bottom by the slide h until the slide is withdrawn, when the seeds thus separated can be disposedY of.

As the smaller seeds fall through sieve e onto e", the smallest will pass through it and fall onto the bottom ofthe sieve, which, being inclined, and the motion such that it will be discharged through opening b into box b underneath, the larger sized seedsthat cannot pass through sieve e will travel down onto sieve e', and what goes through it falls upon the inclined bottom, and is discharged therefrom through opening b, and falls into box 11"', aud what does not pass through sieve e is carried over the tail end,and falls upon the chute e5, thence onto slide h.

It often happens that the blast of wind from the fan-blower does liotgfemove all of the short straw, cha, or light stni fnom Jthe trash-sieve 0; when that is the case, such' straw and cha` will pass over sieve cto the tail t, and there fall upon Ithe endless apron j, which willecarry and deposit it into box k, to be disposed of in any proper/manner.

This machine is rnost complete` in separating the seeds from grain, and it can be used with good advantage in boltin g or sifting corn-meal, separating the husk of the corn from the ine meal or our, the our being in two grades, the finer in box b and the coarser in box b" while the bran will be discharged either in box g or onto slide h, and answers well for a substitute for theour-bolt in bolting the meal, which is a great convenience when the bolt is not at hand.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The pivoted chute C, composed of the inclined hack C', adjustable pivoted front piece D, and trashsieve C", constructed and arranged to operate in the manner and for the'purpose-herein described.

2. The combination of the sieve-box E, having sieves c,'e', e", and e, and apertures b' and b', with the octagonal shaft G, pulley J, connecting-rod J', crankarm K, and rock-shaft K', in the manner and for the purpose herein described.

3. The combination ofthe endless apron j, operating as described, with' the sieve-box E and sieve e, when said sieve-box is constructed and operated in the manner substantially as herein set forth.

REASON vHAWKIKS.

VWitnesses.:

DAVID J. ELLIOTT, M. M. HOOK. 

